Graph construction



11g 8. 1939- J. H. DoBBlN, JR 2,168,793

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/ ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES rArENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a graph chart, and hasfor its objects the provision of simple, economical means for progressively constructing such chart with accuracy but without the necessity of employing skilled help, and which chart during its formation will indicate at a glance the desired data for predetermined limited periods of time as well as for thev combined periods of time or any combination of said periods. Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and drawings annexed hereto. Y

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan View of a chart showing the graph complete at one point in its development.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan View of one of the strips used in the chart, broken in length to accommodate the size of the Patent Office sheet.

In detail, I provide a relatively stiff sheet of material, such, for example, as cardboard, which sheet may be divided or creased along line l, where the sheet is relatively large, to form foldable sections 2, 2 for folding the sections on themselves to opposed relation in book form. It is obvious, of course, that the size of the sheet is according to the amount of data required to complete the graph, and it may be divided or creased to provide more sections in certain instances or can be a single section in still other instances, but where folding is desired, the sheet should open out flat when unfolded. AIn' the drawing, the sheet is physically divided into separate sections with a flexible fabric strip l connecting the adjacent margins at opposite sides of the line of division.

The sheet illustrated in Fig. l is printed along the upper margin with a relatively heavy guide line 3 extending horizontally across the sheet, and along said line is a row of spaced marks 4. Along the lower margin of the sheet is a row of similarly spaced marks 5, each of which latter marks is directly below one of the marks 4 of the upper row. These marks may be of any suitable character for accomplishing the desired result of 'dening similar distances at the top and bottom of the sheet between vertically opposed pairs of adjacent marks for a purpose later described, and which marks, in the drawing, take the form of dotted lines extending in a direction -at right angles to the guide line 3. For convenience of the operator, I also provide a dotted line 5 between guide line 3 and the adjacent edge of thesheet and parallel with line 3, which line 6 connects between the lines 4,

heretofore termed marks.

Along the left-hand margin of the sheet, is a relatively heavy vertical line 'l which is provided with graduations 8 at the left-hand side thereof, which graduations are identified by indicia 9, such as numerals, and vertically spaced 5 horizontal, relatively heavy, lines l extending to the left from vertical line 'l may divide the margin of the sheet between line 'I and the edge of the sheet adjacent thereto into a vertical row of areas, respectively designated A, B, C, the area 10 A being the uppermost, and areas B, C being successively therebelow.

In each of the areas A, B, C' is printed a vertical row of plurality of distinctively different horizontal lin-es Il, the lines in each area being preferably similar, however. For example, in area A the top line is solid, and the lines successively spaced therebelow respectively provide a dot double-dash line; a dot-dash line; a line formed of rel-atively closely spaced short dashes; a dotted line; and a line formed of relatively closely spaced long dashes. In area B and in area C' similar lines are provided. It is to be understood that the distinctive characteristics described for these lines are merely to illustrate lines that may be readily printed and which will be readily distinguishable, and I do not Wish to be limited to exact form or color, since differently colored lines of the same character may be used. However, as will later be apparent, the use of colored lines would be relatively expensive, hence I prefer to use lines of the same color to permit simultaneous printing thereof by an ordinary printing press.

The lines l l are each identified by different symbols Il', such as numerals, commencing with the numeral 1 with the uppermost line in area A and successively continuing downwardly with numerals 2, 3, etc., without reoccurrence, and ending with the lowermost line in area C.

The graduations l, however, in each of the areas A, B, C, commence with digits 9 of lower value at the lower ends of the areas and suc cessively become larger in value upwardly therefrom, in the usual manner as found in ordinary graphs. Thus in area A, the numerals 10, 12, 14, etc. designate graduations Il commencing with the bottom graduation, and in area B numerals 10, 20, 30, etc., are used in similar arrangement, while in area C numerals 0, 10, 20, etc., are used. There may, of course, be any number of such graduations between the numer als, and the numerals used may commence and successively continue in any desired values, or other graduation identifying symbols thanA numbers may be used according to the information it is desired to supply. However, numerals are preferable.

Adjacent each of the lines II is printed the specific character of information I3 identiiied by the line, and each of the areas A, B, C, is headed by an explanatory title I4 indicating the general character of information included therein. For example, in area A, the top line II thereon is marked Ponderosa pine, Av. of all grades, while the area A is titled Lumber prices per M Bd. Ft.

In carrying out my invention, I provide elongated strips I5 adapted to extend at one end to between marks 4 at the top of the sheet and to between marks 5 at the bottom of the sheet, the width of said strips being substantially the distance between adjacent pairs of marks 4 or 5. These strips are printed adjacent their upper ends with a heavy transverse line 3 and with transverse lines IB', I0 spaced therebelow. The spacing between lines 3', IU' and I0 is the same as the vertical distance along line 'I between lines 3 and I0 which are printed on the main sheet, and between lines 3' and lines I0 are relatively light transverse lines 8' corresponding in spacing with the graduations 8 on the sheet.

Above the line 3' the strips are extended at I6 to be within the areas deiined by lines 3, 8, and the adjacent pairs of marks 4 respectively, which extensions I5 are printed to designate different successive periods of time starting with the lefthand strip. For example, the left-hand strip is printed in said extension "Week ending 1-8-38 and the one edjacent thereto on the right is printed Week ending 1 15-38.

The areas on the strips between lines 3', I0', I0" I designate as areas A', B', C' tc correspond to areas A, B, C on the sheet, and in area A are printed lines I I' each corresponding in character with one of the lines II, which lines Il" are disposed relative to lines 8 to correspond in inclination relative thereto to the factual conditions indicated by the printing I3, I4'appearing in areas A, B, C. These lines 8 in adjacent pairs of strips will, of course, match at their ends so that when the strips are successively arranged, in order, across the sheet, the changes in said factual conditions will ce readily determinable at a glance for ony one of the periods or for any combination thereof such as for the week ending 1-8-38 or for the period from 1-1-38 to the week ending 1-22-38, etc.

In operation, each week the operator provided with one of the sheets, is furnished with a strip I5 for the preceding week, which strip is secured on the sheet adjacent the preceding strip, and the graph lines II will continuously extend across the sheet in proper relation as the strips are successively secured in place.

The strips I5 are preferably gummed on their rear sides to facilitate securing to the sheet, and each, or for example, every fourth strip is printed with a numeral, designated 20, in a slight break in each one of the lines I I", which numeral corresponds to one of the numerals II' and is in the proper line of the character designated by the respective numerals I I', thus affording ready reference to the data I3 to which said line refers.

In describing the areas A, B, C and A', B', C', it is obvious that only one of such areas may appear on a sheet, or even more than three such areas may be provided. This depends entirely upon the data it is desired to plot for a graph line, but where it is desired to plot information that is divisible into distinctively different classes, as in the illustration, the method I show has been found to be preferable. It is likewise obvious that the graph may be a yearly one, or monthly, or weekly, or daily, or for any desired period of time, and the number of marks 4 and 5 is according to how extended a period of time the entire sheet is to cover.

By dividing the sheets and uniting them by the fabric strip along the line of division, a simple and easy means is provided for combining a plurality of sheets as the plotting on each sheet is completed and the connected sheet sections may be folded backward and forward to form a pile of an indenite number.

Having described by invention, I claim:

l. In a graph, a sheet of relatively rigid material, a plurality of similar-sized strips of paperlike material each bearing a printed section of a continuous graph line extending transversely thereacross arranged to connect to form said con tinuous graph line when the strips are positioned edgewise in side by side relationship and guide means on the sheet for use in positioning said strips in said relationship.

2. In a construction as defined in claim 1, means for securing said strips in said side by side relationship.

3. In graph construction, a relatively rigid sheet of cardboard or like material, means on the sheet defining a pair of adjacent areas along one margin thereof, a plurality of similar-sized strips of paper each strip being of a length to extend along one side of said pair of areas, means on each of said strips defining a pair of adjacent areas thereon of dimensions lengthwise of the strips and said margin of the sheet equal to the dimensions of the iirst-mentioned areas in direction lengthwise of the margin, said strips being arranged and adapted for positioning in a row in side by side relationship on said sheet with the end strip of the row extending along said one margin of the sheet and with the said means on the strips and on the sheet respectively positioned in parallel planes disposed at right angles to the length of the strips, a section of a graph line printed in each of the said areas on the strips, said sections extending transversely of the strips and arranged in said areas on the strips for adjoining at their ends the ends of the section on 3 the adjacent strips of the row when the strips are arranged in said row whereby a plurality of graph lines respectively commencing at one end substantially at each of the said areas on said margin will extend away therefrom toward the f,

opposite margin of the sheet, each of said graph lines being made up of the said sections printed on the strips.

4. In a construction as defined in claim 3, means printed in each of the said areas on the margin of the sheet and corresponding means along a section of the graph line printed on the strips in each of the areas on the latter for identifying the said graph line with the said means printed in the said areas on the sheet.

5. In graph construction, a rectangular sheet of cardboard or like material, a relatively heavy guide line printed on the sheet parallel with one margin thereof and extending across said sheet, a plurality of separate strips adapted to extend substantially across the sheet for securement thereto in side by side relation in a row with the strips extending in a direction at right angles to said line, a line printed on each strip adjacent one end thereof and extending transverse- 1y of each strip arranged and adapted to register in alignment with and over the line on said sheet for aligning the strips in said row on said sheet, a plurality of graph lines printed on and extending across each strip transversely thereof, said graph lines being different in character and the lines on the separate strips when in the row in predetermined relationship being arranged on the strips to connect at their ends with the ends of the lines of similar character on adjacent strips whereby the strips when in said row will form continuous graph lines of different characteristics, and said strips being provided with means for securement on said sheet in said row.

6. In a construction as dened in claim 5, lines on said sheet similar in character to the graph lines on the strips and separate indicia printed on said sheet adjacent each of said lines thereon identifying said lines with reference to the graph lines on the strips and indicia printed on said strips along the graph lines thereon identifying said graph lines with reference to the similarly identified lines on the sheet. I

JAY H. DOBBIN, JR. 

